Legends for sale

Added on: 2008-10-21

While the World Junior A Hockey Challenge unfolds on the ice there will be a different kind of battle beyond the stands.
During each game valuable items from photographs to prints and other memorabilia, some of them autographed, will be up for sale at the silent auctions. Each auction will start before the game and close 10 minutes before the end of the third period. Whoever has the most cash will walk away with the prizes.
All the treasures are being supplied and the auction is run by Ken Roberts, who's been in the auction business for years. He specializes in finding valuable items, framing and mounting them just for auction and selling them at events.
"I'm bringing jerseys from the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, autographed items from Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Sidney Crosby, even items from the NFL, NASCAR, and Major League Baseball," he said. "I always try to have items from three areas; local athletes, like Mikka Kippersoff, Andrew Cogliano, Mark Messier, then get poster boys like Wayne Gretzky, Martin Brodeur and Joe Sakic. I try to get something that will appeal to everyone and appeal to their wallets as well. I always have different pieces and mark them according to what I think they can sell for."
A few local interest pieces are being made as well. Roberts said that he's having a print made just from Camrose Kodiaks photos and a nostalgic black and white print of the Camrose Maroons. Only these two pieces will be open for auction for the entire tournament.
Making pieces just for a specific auction is common practice, as there will almost certainly be a local demand for them. He'll also have some posters and photos from Slapshot. He expects those to sell as the star, Paul Newman, passed away recently.
Often, he tries to get a piece and mark it below market value, sometimes up to 35 per cent, to get interest started, then set the reserve bid if he knows it will sell, then let the people decide how far they are willing to go. Most of the pieces Roberts brings to auction are one of a kind, and every night there will be different pieces. If it doesn't sell, it doesn't go back on the table.
"If you really want it, you have to place your bids that night," he stated. "I've done countless auctions and they can get pretty heated. Sometimes it's about passion, really wanting something for their collection and sometimes it's about ego. Bidders want to show others that their wallet is bigger than the others."
How well pieces sell varies greatly. Roberts said that he's sold some pieces for well below value, while others went over their retail price. If it gets really heated, and he has another, sometimes he's given two pieces, one to each bidder, for what they were willing to buy.
Roberts expects a high turnout as this is a major event and it's close to Christmas. Tournament goers will be looking for gifts and souvenirs from the tournament. Proceeds from the auctions are divided between Roberts and the Camrose Minor Hockey Association.
He also sells pieces online. To see what he has to offer, click on www.memorylanesports.ca

Karen McKinley
Sports Reporter, Camrose Canadian